Results of all WSBA cruiser races will be calculated
using the RYA’s National Handicap for Cruisers (NHC) system, sail
configurations to be used are unrestricted; that is, asymmetrics, spinnakers
& code zeros’ are allowed. There will be no allowances for boat or crew
configurations. NHC is a performance based handicap system. A boats handicap
will be adjusted after every race. An adjustment in handicap number is not
grounds for redress, this changes RRS Rule 62.

NHC will be used for all championship points’ races.
The 2018 starting values, calculated using the RYA approved software HALSail
from the 2016 and 2017 seasons results and agreed by the Race
Committee can be found in Handicaps.

Boats which have already started in an NHC series
will retain their current handicap status, regardless of the number of
subsequent new entrants to the series. Any newly entered boats which have
not previously competed with the current fleet will start on NHC base
handicaps. Handicaps are however automatically re-aligned and this may
affect all boats.

Boats joining an NHC series will attain their proper
handicap levels after a few races, and these can be significantly
different from the base numbers. Base numbers are intended to be a starting
point only.

Whatever the starting values, by definition NHC
handicaps change after every race, unless there are fewer than three
finishers in a race.

For the Friendship race all boats will race off the NHC
base handicaps.

For the Irish Sea Challenge, the handicaps will be
set to the current club handicaps following the preceding Championship
Series race.

For the Maiden Marine Cup mini series and the
Marina Cup mini series handicaps will be set to the current club
handicaps following the preceding Championship Series race and run as
fixed handicap series.

The result of the Friendship, Irish Sea Challenge and mini
series will not effect the club handicaps.

Starting NHC values have been determined by
finishing NHC values from the previous season.

All this information is subject to revision by the
Race Committee.

Championship
Table

The Championship will be scored on a Low Point Scoring system over the ten
championship races, indicated in the Race Calendar with the post scripts SR1
through SR10. There will be 2 discards i.e. final championship points will
be based on each competitors best eight results.

For each race the first place finisher will get one point, second two points, third three points,
forth four points etc.

DNC (Did Not Compete) will attract number of competitors in the race + 2

DNS (Did Not Start) will attract number of competitors in the race + 1

RET (Retired) will attract number of competitors in the race + 1

DSQ (Disqualified) will attract number of competitors in the race + 2

The competitor with the lowest score, out of their best eight races, will be
declared the winner of the championship. All Scoring will be done by the HALSail web-based application.

In
addition “The Jack Dickson Trophy” will be awarded to the vessel with
the lowest score that has not won a trophy during the season.

Conduct of
races

All
participating vessels must be WSBA members and must sign the WSBA pre-season
disclaimer

A pre-race brief will be held outside the marina facilities building before the
start of each race. The brief will include:

Listing of
participating vessels

Collection of
entry fee

Course details

Target race
start time

Lock out
arrangements

Reminder of
safety requirements

Working VHF
channel for the race

The
race buoys will be laid and recovered by volunteers if
prevailing conditions allow. Otherwise volunteers from the race fleet will
be sought on a rota basis to lay and recover buoys. This is often the
bug-bare of organising the race and if crews are willing to race they must
be willing to take a turn in handling buoys. The basis will be that vessels expected to finish the race early will lay the buoys and the slower
vessels will recover buoys.

The
race fleet should look to use the sea lock economically. I.e. get the whole
race fleet out in as few locks as is reasonably practicable. This will help
to consistently meet the agreed start time.

In the
interests of meeting the agreed start time, skippers should proceed to the
muster area on the start side of the start line as soon as possible after
locking out.

The starting procedure

A voice signal on VHF at
T-10 with a 5 second count down.

Observe radio silence
after T-10.

Engines off by T-5

A voice signal on VHF at
T-5 with a 5 second count down.

Start horn signal over
VHF will be give if possible with a 5 second count down.

After the T-5 signal the race is totally self policing and penalties for
rule infringements must be taken as required and declared. Normal racing
rules of sailing will apply.
All race timing is to be given from a GPS source in hrs; mins; secs.
Skippers are responsible for taking and declaring their finish times in
writing on the declaration form to the race officer ASAP after the race.
All vessels must complete the course as described in the pre race brief to
qualify for a result.

The start line in use is formed by a transit of the Haigh pit head winding
and the Perch to the south of the harbour. A buoy will mark the seaward end
of the start line, this is the OUTER LIMIT and is not necessarily on the
transit line. All yachts must start and finish races by passing between this
buoy and the Perch.

Protest Procedure

Any boat involved in or witnessing an incident may protest.

The word "PROTEST" must be hailed so that the protested boat
is known to be aware of the protest, at the first reasonable opportunity.
Due to the nature of racing at Whitehaven, VHF Ch72 may be used hail the
protested boat.

A RED flagmust be hoisted at the first reasonable opportunity
by the protesting boat. It must be flown for the remaining duration of the
race. It must be a RED flag, ideally flag B, which is red with swallowtails.
It cannot be something other than a flag such as some article of clothing.
For safety reasons the red flag can be flown from the
backstay/guardrails etc. This is to avoid the unnecessary risk someone
going forward to hoist it from the signal halyard in bad weather.

The purpose of the hail is to give the protested boat an opportunity to take
a penalty or to record the incident to contest the protest later.

Once ashore the protesting Skipper must, as soon as practicable, give
written details of the protest to the OD. The publication of the results can
be delayed for up to 2 hours after the last boat finishes provided the OD is
aware that the protest is to be lodged, and has time to assemble a Protest
Committee.

You may have supporting witnesses, but you must not
discuss the incident prior to the Protest Committee convening or try
to influence witnesses in your favour.

You must be respectful to committee members, especially if you know
more about the rules than they do. They will be fellow sailors doing
their best to be fair.

The protest committee will listen to all parties and to any witnesses, and
requests for redress. This will only be done if the process is followed
correctly.